Wassmer Park Garden

Wassmer Park, named after a former mayor of Prairie Village, is in the heart of northeast Johnson County. Sitting on the southwest corner of 67^th & Roe, it is one of the newest EMG demonstration gardens. The pocket garden is a partnership with the City of Prairie Village. Dedicated in the fall of 2019, the garden’s in-ground planting began in earnest in May 2020. Today, the total planted garden space is approximately 2600 square feet with hundreds of perennials, shrubs, annuals and bulbs.

Pocket Garden Design

The primary portion of the garden is a semi-formal four-quadrant design with a more “informal” cottage-type feel within the quadrants. Plantings are mirror images from one quadrant to another but with differing varieties, displaying a rotating color palette. Annual plantings grace the quadrants’ outer borders and surround each hydrangea tree. A large urn is the garden’s focal point, and the center island allows for colorful seasonal displays.

Additional Beds: The Stumpery, Pollinator, and Entrance

Several other beds have been added since the garden’s opening. Two beds were added to the entrance of the nearby park shelter in 2022. A Stumpery, begun in 2023, provides a sheltered shade habitat for native in-ground pollinators. And a Pollinator Garden, newly planted in the spring of 2024, provides food and host plants for bees, butterflies, birds, and hummingbirds.

garden photo

Eco-friendly Practices and Garden Awards:

The eco-friendly garden follows organic and environmentally friendly practices whenever possible. With the garden’s park setting, wildlife is always nearby. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds frequent the garden and birds often nest in the hydrangea standards.

Although only a few years old, Wassmer Garden has already received several honors and recognitions. In 2022, the park and garden were designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. The garden was also named “A People’s Garden” by the United States Department of Agriculture, as a collaborative effort with the City that provides educational opportunities to the community. With the addition of the Pollinator Bed, Wassmer Garden recently received certification as a Monarch Waystation.

Ask a Master Gardener

Educational opportunities abound at Wassmer: The garden shows a diverse palette of plants that may be replicated in a home garden. The city promotes “Ask a Gardener” sessions for community residents to meet with the EMGs as they work in the garden. The EMGs benefit too from frequent “teaching moments” about specific plants or gardening practices. And group tours are given upon request.

The garden is designed, planted and maintained by the Johnson County K-State Extension Master Gardeners. Workdays are Monday afternoons during the growing season. Feel free to stop by to admire or ask a question. Take a stroll. Sit on a bench within the garden. Enjoy the beauty!